Thursday's GCSE results will not prompt the closure of underperforming schools, despite government pledges to relaunch those that fail to meet minimum standards for three consecutive years.

Former education secretary David Blunkett announced in March 2000 that schools where less than 15 per cent of students achieve five grade Cs or better would be considered for closure and reopened under a new head as part of the "fresh start programme".

But the Guardian reports that there are no plans for an immediate calling-in of schools which fail to meet the target.

However, the number of underperforming schools has fallen significantly since the plans was floated.